Kauno autobusų gamykla

For the IATA code KAG, see Gangneung Airbase.
KAG-3 in Kaunas
KAG-3 in Kaunas

Kauno autobusų gamykla (transl. Kaunas Bus Factory), abbreviated KAG, was a factory in Kaunas, Lithuanian SSR that produced about 10,000 KAG-3 buses from 1956 to 1990.[1] The buses used chassis of the GAZ-51 truck. The factory then added wooden frames covered with metal sheets. It was the only mass-produced vehicle in Lithuania.[1]

The factory was established in an old workshop owned by Amerikos lietuvių akcinė bendrovė [lt] (Lithuanian American Joint Stock Company), abbreviated as Amlit. The company imported Ford cars, Fordson tractors, and bicycles.[2] Around 1929, it started building passenger buses with wooden frames based on Ford chassis. About 25 buses were produced per year.[3] The company was nationalised after Lithuania was occupied by the Soviet Union. After World War II there was a shortage of vehicles and metal. The auto shop, then known as Kauno autoremonto gamykla, started modifying ZIS-150 trucks into L-1 buses that were first designed and produced in Leningrad in 1949.[4][5]

In 1952, the factory started building KAG-1 passenger buses, which were copies of the Russian GZA-651 buses and were built on the GAZ-51 chassis.[5] The factory improved the model and developed its own KAG-3 bus, though it retained essentially the same specifications.[4] The buses had a six-cylinder, 68 horsepower, 3.5-litre engines. An empty bus weighted 3,890 kilograms (8,580 lb).[1] KAG-3 was the most popular model, with up to 350 vehicles produced per year.[5]

The wooden frame would rot over time, which is why only a couple buses have survived. Examples are preserved in museums in Kaunas and Vievis, as well as by a classic car club in Kaunas.[1] The wooden frame could also easily catch fire in an accident. One of the largest accidents occurred in winter 1966, when a crowded bus drove into a ditch and caught fire on the road from Luokė to Smilgiai. 21 people died in the accident, four others suffered severe burns.[1] Due to safety concerns, the buses were phased out from passenger transport and converted into cargo or utility vehicles.[4] However, the KAG buses remained in demand even after metal frame buses (such as PAZ-652) became available. The wooden frame could be replaced (some buses had 3 or 4 frame changes) and performed better on uneven roads (such as roads of the Caucasus).[4]

Models

The factory produces these models:[1]

  • KAG-1 (19 passengers) – very similar to the Russian GZA-651 buses
  • KAG-3 (23 seated passengers plus 7 standing passengers)
    • KAG-31 (KAG-3 based cargo van)
    • KAG-32 (KAG-3 based bread van)
    • KAG-33 (KAG-3 based technical service van)
    • KAG-34 (KAG-3 based explosive materials van)
    • KAG-317 (KAG-3 based household service van)
  • KAG-4 (24 passenger) – two experimental vehicles with all metal frames produced in 1959[4]
    • KAG-41 (KAG-4 based cargo van) – one experimental vehicle with all metal frame produced in 1959[4]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Sviklas, Paulius (11 March 2016). "Lietuviški automobiliai: 3. KAG – vienintelis serijinės gamybos autobusas" (in Lithuanian). 15min.lt. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  2. ^ Inytė, Vėjūnė (17 August 2015). "Kauniečio garaže – sovietmečiu daug bėdų pridarę automobiliai" (in Lithuanian). Lietuvos rytas. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  3. ^ Drėmaitė, Marija (21 April 2016). "Kompaniją "Ford" į Lietuvą atvedė Amerikos lietuviai" (in Lithuanian). 15min.lt. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  4. ^ a b c d e f "Autobusai iš Kauno" (in Lithuanian). Lietuvos istorinių transporto priemonių išsaugojimo asociacija "Retromobile". Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  5. ^ a b c Skorenko, Tim (7 December 2016). "Забытые советские марки: КАГ" (in Russian). Популярная Механика. Retrieved 28 June 2020.

54°53′46″N 23°54′31″E / 54.89611°N 23.90861°E / 54.89611; 23.90861